Review of fiscal year 1994 budget for user fees for marketing orders and checkoff programs; and the Watermelon Research and Promotion Improvement Act of 1993 : hearing before the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources of the Committee on Ag

68 Pages·1993·1.9 MB·English

by  United States. Congress. House. Committee on Agriculture. Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources

^ REVIEW OF nSCAL YEAR 1994 BUDGET FOR USER FEES FOR
MARKETING ORDERS AND CHECKOFF PROGRAMS; AND THE
WATERMELON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION IMPROVEMENT
ACT OF 1993
Y 4. AG 8/1:103-16
Revieu of Fiscal Year 1994 Dudget f...
HEARING
BEFORE THE
subcom:\iittee ox speculty crops
and xatur.\l resources
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATR^S
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H.R. 653
MAY 6. 1993
Serial No. 103-16
OCT 1 3 1993
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
70-511 WASHINGTON : 1993
ForsalebytheL'.S.GovernnicniPrimingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments.CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington.DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041298-6

V
REVIEW OF nSCAL YEAR 1994 BUDGET FOR USER FEES FOR
MARKETING ORDERS AND CHECKOFF PROGRAMS; AND THE
WATERMELON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION IMPROVEMENT
ACT OF 1993
'4. AG 8/1:103-16
evieu of Fiscal Yeir 1994 Budget f. . .
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCO.AIMITTEE OX SPECIALTY CROPS
AND NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATR^S
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H.R. 653
MAY
6, 1993
Serial No. 103-16
OCT 13
Printed for the use of the Committee on Agriculture
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
70-511 WASHINGTON 1993
:
Forsaleb> theU.S.GovcrnmcnlPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,CongressionalSalesCJffice.Washington,DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041298-6
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
E (KIKA) DE LA GARZA, Texas, Chairman
GEORGE E. BROWN, Jr., California, PAT ROBERTS, Kansas,
Vice Chairman Ranking Minority Member
CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina BILL EMERSON, Missouri
GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin
DAN GLICKMAN, Kansas TOM LEWIS, Florida
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas ROBERT F. (BOB) SMITH, Oregon
HAROLD L. VOLKMER, Missouri LARRY COMBEST, Texas
TIMOTHY J. PENNY, Minnesota WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota BILL BARRETT, Nebraska
BILL SARPALIUS, Texas JIM NUSSLE, Iowa
JILL L. LONG, Indiana JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio
GARY A. CONDIT, California THOMAS W, EWING, Illinois
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California
CALVIN M, DOOLEY, California JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
EVA M. CLAYTON, North Carolina BOB GOODLATTE, Virginia
DAVID MINGE, Minnesota JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
EARL F. HILLIARD, Alabama RICHARD W. POMBO, California
JAY INSLEE, Washington CHARLES T. CANADY, Florida
THOMAS J. BARLOW III, Kentucky
EARL POMEROY, North Dakota
TIM HOLDEN, Pennsylvania
CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY, Georgia
SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia
PAT WILLIAMS, Montana
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas
Professional Staff
DiANNE Powell, StaffDirector
Vernie Hubert, ChiefCounsel and Legislative Director
Gary R. Mitchell, Minority StaffDirector
James A. Davis, Press Secretary
Subcommittee on Speclalty Crops and Natural Resources
CHARLIE ROSE, North Carolina, Chairman
SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky, TOM LEWIS, Florida
Vice Chairman BILL EMERSON, Missouri
SANFORD D. BISHOP, Jr., Georgia JOHN T. DOOLITTLE, California
GEORGE E. BROWN, Jr., California JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
GARY A. CONDIT, California BOB GOODLATTE, Virgina
EVA M. CLAYTON, North Carolina JAY DICKEY, Arkansas
KAREN L. THURMAN, Florida RICHARD W. POMBO, California
DAVID MINGE, Minnesota
JAY INSLEE, Washington
EARL POMEROY, North Dakota
GLENN ENGLISH, Oklahoma
CHARLES W. STENHOLM, Texas
COLLIN C. PETERSON, Minnesota
(II)
CONTENTS
Page
H.R. 653, a bill to amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act
to expand operation of the act to the entire United States, to authorize
the revocation ofthe refund provision ofthe act, to modify the referendum
procedures ofthe act, and for other purposes 3
de la Garza, Hon. E (Kika), a Representative in Congress from the State
ofTexas, opening statement 22
English, Hon. Glenn, a Representative in Congress from the State of Okla-
homa, prepared statement 17
Rose, Hon. Charlie, a Representative in Congress from the State of North
Carolina, opening statement 1
Thurman, Hon. Karen L., a Representative in Congress from the State of
Florida, prepared statement 19
Witnesses
Clayton, Kenneth C, Acting Assistant Secretary, Marketing and Inspection
Services, U.S. Department ofAgriculture 19
Prepared statement 35
Kendel, Fred, director, marketingoperations, SunWorld International 31
Prepared statement 57
Leger, C.M. "Buddy," producer, Cordele, GA 31
Prepared statement 54
National Watermelon Association:
Bruce Price, chairman, executive committee 27, 48
Nancy Childers, executive secretary-treasurer 51
Submitted Material
National Watermelon Promotion Board, marketing review in 1992 and 1993
marketing programs 59
(III)

REVIEW OF FISCAL YEAR 1994 BUDGET FOR
USER FEES FOR MARKETING ORDERS AND
CHECKOFF PROGRAMS; AND THE WATER-
MELON RESEARCH AND PROMOTION IM-
PROVEMENT ACT OF
1993
THURSDAY, MAY 1993
6,
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Specialty Crops
AND Natural Resources,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:10 p.m., in room
1300, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Charlie Rose (chair-
man ofthe subcommittee) presiding.
Present: Representatives Baesler, Bishop, English, Stenholm,
Lewis, Emerson, Kingston, and Pombo.
Also present: Representative E (Kika) de la Garza, chairman of
the committee, and Representative Pat Roberts, ranking minority
member ofthe committee.
Staff present: Glenda L. Temple, clerk; Keith Pitts, Joe Dugan,
Xavier Equihua, and Stacy Steinitz.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLIE ROSE, A REP-
RESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NORTH
CAROLINA
Mr. Rose. The Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Re-
sources will please come to order.
The purpose of today's hearing is to hear testimony regarding
H.R. 653, the Watermelon Research and Promotion Improvement
Act. I look forward to workmg with Congressman Glenn English,
my colleagues on the subcommittee, and other interested parties to
move this proposal forward.
I understand the Department of Agriculture has some technical
amendments that they want to add in implementing the Lime Re-
search, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act. In the corning
weeks, I hope that we can all reach consensus on these provisions
and mark up these proposals.
I wish to also inform you that at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12,
the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Natural Resources will
conduct a hearing on H.R. 1738, the Fresh Cut Flowers and Fresh
Cut Greens Promotion and Information Act. The legislation has
been cosponsored by my colleague, Mr. Lewis of Florida, the rank-
ing minority member of this subcommittee. I look forward to work-
CD
ing with Mr. Lewis and other interested parties to move ahead
with this legislation.
It was to be on the agenda today, but some of us had forgotten
that Mother's Day was this weekend, and that is a prime busy time
for our friends in the flower industry. Therefore, we decided to hold
this over until next week.
Any statements from the members will appear at this point in
the record.
[H.R. 653 and the prepared statements of Mr. English and Mrs.
Thurman
follow:]
103d congress H. R. 653
1st Session
To amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act to expand operation
of the Act to the entire United States, to authorize the revocation
of the refund provision of the Act, to modify the referendum procedures
oftheAct, and forotherpurposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Januaky 27, 1993
Mr. English ofOklahoma introduced the foUowngbill; whichwas referred
to the Committee onAgriculture
A
BILL
To amend the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act to
expand operation of the Act to the entire United States,
to authorize the revocation of the refund provision of
the Act, to modify the referendum procedures of the
Act, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted hy the Senate and House ofRepresenta-
2 tives ofthe United States ofAmerica in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORTTITLEANDTABLE OF CONTENTS.
—
4 (a) Short Title. This Act may be cited as the
5 "Watermelon Research and Promotion Improvement Act
6 of 1993".
2
—
1 (b) Table of Contents. The table of contents for
2 this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Shorttitleandtableofcontents.
Sec. 2. Changetomajorityvoteinreferendumprocedures.
Sec. 3. Expansionofwatermelonplanstoentire United States.
Sec. 4. Clarificationofdifferencesbetweenproducers andhandlers.
Sec. 5. Clarificationofcollectionofassessmentsbytheboard.
Sec. 6. Changestoassessmentratenotsubjectto formal rulemaking.
Sec. 7. Eliminationofwatermelonassessmentrefund.
Sec. 8. Equitabletreatmentofwatermelon plans.
Sec. 9. Separateconsiderationofwatermelonplan amendments.
3 SEC. 2. CHANGE TOMAJORITYVOTE INREFERENDUMPRO-
4 CEDURES.
5 Section 1653 of the Watermelon Research and Pro-
—
6 motion Act (7 U.S.C. 4912) is amended
7 (1) by inserting "(a)" after "Sec. 1653.";
8 (2) by striking the third sentence; and
9 (3) inserting at the end the following new sub-
10 section:
11 "(b) A plan issued under this subtitle shall not take
12 effect unless the Secretary determines that the issuance
13 of the plan is approved or favored by a majority of the
14 producers and handlers (and importers if subject to the
15 plan) votingin the referendum.".
16 SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF WATERMELON PLANS TO ENTIRE
17 UNITED STATES.
—
18 (a) Definitions. Section 1643 of the Watermelon
19 Research and Promotion Act (7 U.S.C. 4902(3)) is
—
20 amended